The unforgettable and heartbreaking story of the Nevels family and their quest to preserve their deep-rooted values amidst the turmoil of war and industrialization. When Gertie Nevels, a strong and self-reliant matriarch, follows her husband to Detroit from their countryside home in Kentucky, she learns she will have to fight desperately to keep her family together.

A hardscrabble film full of vividly drawn characters and masterful scenes, this is a passionate tribute to a woman's love for her children and the land.